


First, kill all the heroes

by Keenir



Series: Terminator Triptych [1]
Category: Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Genre: F/F, Gen, j-day ficathon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-14
Updated: 2011-04-14
Packaged: 2017-10-18 01:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesse’s history with Riley, from start to finish, the why of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First, kill all the heroes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [usakeh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/usakeh/gifts).



> Written for: **usakeh**  
>  Request: _a femslash story in Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, Riley/Jesse._
> 
> Huge thanks to everyone who helped me hammer this out. Big hugs and lots of thanks.

**Part One**

There’s a story that circulated around Perth in the years after Judgement Day. There’s a version of it everywhere, I’d imagine.

People were told to be fruitful and multiply. And we did. From Addis Ababa to York. Cities everywhere. Pets of all sorts - guppies and cats, horses and camels. Farms all over the place, growing corn and bananas and apples and durians.

All the noises of the cities woke Serpent, who slid grumpily down his tree to see what all the fuss was. He saw murders, affairs, prison camps, disfiguring, hatred and pogroms and lies.

So he took what he had seen, and went up to Heaven. Interrupted a poker game between God, Wallaby, and Ganesh, which didn’t help any. So when God got an earful of what Serpent reported, He shouted out at mankind, “You No Longer Have The Mandate!”

No more did people have dominion. Now Skynet took over. Judgment Day.

But humans weren’t completely screwed, thanks to Dingo taking the dogs aside and convincing them to stick with mankind even in our darkest hour. Americans say it was Coyote, but they also say Hershey bars are a food group. To sweeten the pot, Dingo showed dogs how to tell what was Man and what was Metal. Apples’re mostly with us, if a bit of a fair-weather friend.

One day we’ll get the Mandate back and Earth will be ours again. Ours and the dogs.

 **.*.*.**

 **2027:**  
Half-bait, half-ambush. Me, Blair, and a few well-placed snipers, waiting out here in the mesa or chaparral or whatever, waiting for a rogue gang to pass by. Plan is, we kick their ass, and ‘accidentally’ let slip some false intel they’ll take back to the Grey they’re working for. And that Grey will tell Skynet.

“I remember the early days of the War,” I say. “People laid down their lives to stop Skynet.”

“Used to be that way when Connor was running the Resistance,” Blair says.

“Then he got the Metals.”

“Most people wouldn’t be so blunt.”

“Sure they are. Just not where Connor has ears.”

“I need to remember that next time I’m incensed,” Blair says.

“Happy to help out. And company should be here soon.”

“Surprised he sent us and not one of his Machines?”

“Yep, and glad of it,” I say.

 ***.*.***   
**Next Morning:**

Connor came for me in the pre-dawn hours. I opened my eyes, and there were his boots, him still in them.

I got to my feet, fast as could be. “Sir?”

“Walk with me,” Connor tells me. “Leave your gun here.”

“I can’t do that,” I say.

“I’m afraid choice doesn’t enter into it. They’d cut you down if you were even to accidentally aim it at me.” And I know he means both his Metals and his men.

“And if we were to encounter a patrol?”

He shakes his head. “We won’t.”

“You sound sure.” I know you’re John Connor, but predicting Skynet’s eyes and ears?

“Very. Walk.”

So we walked. Right out of Seranno Point. Not sure what surprised people more -- that John Connor was walking amongst us, that he had no Metal nearby, or that I was walking with him.

“Keep going this way til you hit the Bay,” Connor said after a long while, “and you’ll be in range of a lighthouse I lived in for a while.”

A lighthouse?

“Cameron told me what happened. I’m sorry.”

I’m sure you are. Still, you got your answer. That’s what matters, right? “Thank you,” I say.

“Things got screwed up. They went to hell,” Connor says. “You try to hit the brakes, but it’s already too late.”

“All you can do is hold on,” I say.

“And pray you survive,” he finishes. “Whether it’s a fault or a feature, the device I use to send people back to fight Skynet only works when Skynet powers up its twin.”

“They have to both be on, or neither one works,” I deduce.

“That’s it,” Connor says. “And I want you leading the assault on it. Not just so we can take it back from Skynet.”

“I’ll think about it.”

He looks at me, and gives me a big smile, the sort that makes people do the impossible for him. “I know you will.”

And that’s all he says to me, even though we walk together for a lot longer.

 ***.*.***

I said it to Derek a few times. Said it to my old beau maybe a dozen times.

Lots of ways to say it. Well, to write it if you don’t care about global accuracy. Hū rū. Hūrū. Hurru. Huhroo. I love you.

That’s it. ‘Cause what more can you really say?

 ***.*.***

The girl’s still keeping low to the ground. Like she’s expecting Hunter-Killers to buzz our position, or like she’s expecting to be kicked. I’d never do that to you, girl.

I repeat my statement.

“No,” Riley tells me. Or whimpers at me. Aaaand she’s not getting out of her crouch.

I narrow my eyes at her. You may be queen or duchess of the rats in this warren, sweetie, but I’m going to make you more than that. “Yes,” I say. “Take the apple from my hand, and you can have it.”

“No fool?” she asks me.

“No fooling,” I say. It’s a quarter of an apple, enough for this lesson.

Riley bolts at me, intent plain on her face. That’s your mistake, luv.

I take a step to the side.

She tries to grab at me, but now she’s off-balance.

I wait a few seconds after she’s fallen to tell her, “In order for you to have this apple, **I** have to be the one on her ass.”

Riley makes a face, gets up, and tries again. Good; never say die, don’t ever quit.

“What’re you doing?” Kyle Reese asks me after a while.

“Made a bet with Connor,” I say. I don’t really expect him to believe me - telling people you promised Connor, is like saying you promised God. “I can get anyone ready for a mission in a week.”

But he nods like he believes I really talked to The Man himself. Seeing Riley lounge for my leg, Kyle wishes me all the best.

Much appreciated.

By the time Riley’s knocked me off my feet, I’m aware that, if I fail, people will say it was because I went against Connor - if I succeed, its because Connor approves of his army getting enlarged.

Even if he doesn’t let us fight anymore.

He’s fine with us dying from Skynet in our homes.

 ***.*.***

 _I’m in downtown Canberra._

 _What’s left of it._

 _Nobody’s around but me and a lone Metal facing each other in the rubble from the street. Usually in these dreams, its Connor’s haughty pet. It’s Queeg this time._

 _Either way, I don’t have a weapon. Again._

 _Queeg asks me, “Do you want Metal to be your Savior?”_

 _Same question. Phrased nicer, granted._

 _I hear a handgun firing, and Queeg blows up._

 _That’s never happened before. Usually I say ‘No’ and Cameron snuffs me out._

 _And, this time, Riley’s standing there, behind where Queeg was, holding the gun, wide-eyed._

 _“My hero,” I say._

I open my eyes, and Riley’s right there. Downright comforting sight, that is.

“Jesse, Kyle wants to see you,” Riley says.

“You know where he is?” I ask.

She nods.

“Then lead on, hero.”

“I’m not a hero,” she tells me. Well at least she’s confident about one thing by now.

“You’re going to do a mission for John Connor. That officially makes you a hero.”

“And unofficially?”

“Anyone who faces a Machine’s a hero in my book.”

“Except Greys,” Riley says.

Good catch. “You can’t face something if you’re cowering before it.”

“When my time comes, Jesse, I won’t cower.”

That’s what I’m counting on, sweetie. “I know you won’t.”

She smiles proudly, and I know its all going to work.

We’re all cannon fodder. I know it. Derek knows it. If Riley hasn’t figured that out, she will soon.

Makes me a little nauseated, but it’ll work. And that means a win for people. Which is the whole point behind everything. Especially the Resistance -- if mankind isn’t the reason, then what’s the damn point?

 ***.*.*.*.*.***

 **PART TWO:**   
**Present Day:**

“How was your first day at school?”

“Jarring,” Riley said.

“It’s a lot to adjust to,” I say, agreeing.

Riley nodded. “Some guy asked me if I wanted to be his bitch.”

Connor wouldn’t talk like that. “And you said…?” That you were already taken?

“I asked him what he needed me to protect him from.”

I nod.

“His friends laughed at him when I said that, and he said to get the hell away from him.”

Smile. “They don’t realize dogs are Metal detectors.”

“I know, but…”

“C’mere, let me check behind your ears.”

 **.*.*.**

You worried about a paradox a few times, luv. I didn’t. By the time women started throwing themselves at him, he was already **the** John Connor, and if your mother had so much as kissed the man, she wouldn’t have let you have even a doubt in your mind he’s your daddy.

Besides, I hate paradoxes. Connor saved us from the Machines. Now we’re saving him and righting history.

 ***.*.***

Its easier to sleep when there’s a warm body beside you. And you never lie near someone you don’t trust. You weren’t the only one comforted and reassured those nights.

If Derek had walked in when we were together… I love the man, but you take priority, Riley. Personally and professionally. You live, even if he doesn’t.

Be a waste of a good Derek, so I’m glad that never happened.

 ***.*.***

Hate throwing you back into the fray. Back at Connor. Back to that house with the Metal. ‘Needs must’ is great on paper and a noble principle to hear it, but if there were another way to do this, I’d grab it in a heartbeat.

But there’s not.

Can’t work all day ‘n’ night. I’ve tried more than once. Only Metal can pull it off, and look how sane _they_ are.

I can swim all I want, though.

Even if there’s chatter in the locker rooms; unavoidable, that. They’re toads - annoying as hell, but they’ll probably survive everything.

“So I dumped the bastard!” one brunette says.

“Two-timing ass,” says a redhead. “Serves him right.”

“What do you think?”

I don’t freeze. That would only pique their curiosity. “Me?” I ask.

“Yeah. What do you think?” the brunette asks. You don’t sound too sure of yourself now, girl.

“You dumped him for seeing another woman?”

“Not seeing, fucking,” the redhead says. Ah.

“Are you sure he noticed?” I ask Brunette. “Men aren’t always perceptive when they should be.” Case in point, John Connor.

“Oh my God, you’re right!” You’re - welcome?

“How about you?’ the redhead asks me.

“I’m involved,” I say. “It’s complicated.”

“You’re the other woman,” she says. Could you sneer any louder? _Jeeze_ as they say in this time.

“Actually, he’s the other man.” Had a guy from Darwin. Hadn’t heard from him in years before I joined the Convoys, not at all afterward. Nothing at all like Derek.

Or like Riley.

 ***.*.***

You were going to die one of these days, luv. Would’ve preferred the blood not to be on my hands. Really would’ve rather had Cameron do you in.

But its like the kid said - anything that happens, that’s the plan. Or in the words of Captain Callas, think on your feet and adjust to circumstances, you won’t survive otherwise.

Its for the best, this way. I found you in the tunnels, living in sewers. I cleaned you up and liked how you hadn’t gone wild. I brought you back with me. I found you a place; did that before, in my way. So its only fitting I be the one to kill you.

Hurts like crap, though. Even when my nose doesn’t have this scar, I’ll still hurt. Won’t show it, but, I’ve never have shown it, if I can help it.

 ***.*.***

Hū rū, Jesse.

 ***.*.***

Do I wonder what my life would’ve been like if I hadn’t befriended Riley and trained her so she could come back with me?

Nope. I don’t wonder. I know exactly what would’ve happened:

I would’ve seen her out the corner of my eye now and again. Tunnel rats are like most people - perfectly happy to just survive, only tunnel rats are better at it than most. Riley would have been fine among them.

Til the day I come back from a patrol or a convoy, and she’s dead. And so is everyone else in Seranno Point. Metal finished its job there, whether it was Skynet or not.

And then we’re all screwed.

Have to admit, I would’ve liked to not have to do all I did here in this’ past. Catch-22. That means I wouldn’t have picked you up and dusted you off. Wouldn’t have had reason to bring you back with me, even if I came back.

‘22 sucks.

 **.*.*.**

In our whole conversation, this John Connor never asked me why I did what I did, or what gave me the right to do it, or who signed off on it. Those would’ve been easy to answer - ‘John Connor’ to all three. This one doesn’t even ask me what things are like when I’m from, or how bad the War’s gotten.

People pray to you, Connor, ask for your intercession. And your response is to surround yourself with Metal.

 **.*.*.**

My last message to Connor is a card I let drop as I’m shutting the door. On the card is one sentence of unvarnished truth:

Riley and I were sent back by the same person who sent back your pet.

**Author's Note:**

> (the title's something of what Jesse thinks is Connor's strategy; it was originally the title of part 1)
> 
> This is sort of a series…sort of.  
> It’s a [Triptych>(?)…each of the three stories can be read by themselves, though they can also be read one after another - no loss either way.](http://www.yourdictionary.com/triptych)


End file.
